How much money do you need to earn in order to live a good and comfortable life in the United States of America (USA) if you immigrate from Kenya? This is a question that often evokes various answers based on various personal experiences.
Drawing from one of these experiences, one Kenya who identifies themselves online as Mshamba Marekani has broken down what bills in U.S are like and how much you expect to spend when your start living in the United States.
According to his breakdown, a salary of below Sh600,000 per month means that you will be in the struggling category and will most likely live from paycheck to paycheck, worse, if your salary is anything below Sh385,000 per month. Here is the full breakdown of the expenses and the money that goes into them as Mshamba shared:
EXPENSES/BILLS in U.S
Unahitaji per month in shillings
Sh385k: Struggling
Sh600-700k: Doing okay
Sh1 million-1.2 million: Soft life germinating
Hivi ndio monthly household bills zitakua ukifika USA na familia ya mtu tano..wewe, ndoawe na mitotos mitatu. Expenses zinaeza kua tofauti kulingana na ile state au city unaishi Marekani pia kulingana na lifestyle yako..so usianze kuni stress ati mshamba but niko singo , mbona ,ohh sina watoto, oh niko na mmoja, ohh sijui single faza au maza blah blah..cheza kama wewe; deduct au ongeza kwa budget .
RENT
Ni either uta rent au buy house ulipe mortgage which is renting from the bank
$1,500 – $3,500/month
PROPERTY TAX
Kama una rent from bank lazima utalipia property tax
$200 – $600/month hii unalipa annually
HOME OWNERS/RENTERS INSURANCE
Kila nyumba au apartment lazima unalipia insurance ku protect Incase nyumba ishike moto au msay akue injured kwa property yako
$25 – $100/month
UTILITIES
ELECTRICITY
$100 – $300/month
WATER AND SEWER
$50 – $150/month
NATURAL GAS (heating & cooking)
Hii inatumikanga kupika na ku heat maji kwa nyumba..inalingana some houses ziko all electric..gas imetambio kwa houses so hakuna mahali unaendea na mtungi
$30 – $150/month
TRASH AND RECYCLING
$10 – $50/month
Watakujia hapo nje kama unaishi kwa nyumba utapewa dates zenye they pick up so unaiskuma kwa curb in a bin
COMMUNICATION & INTERNET
Internet Service
$50 – $100/month
Cell Phone Plans (x5)
Ukiingia family plan unaeza pewaa bundle poa.Most phones unaeza pata unlimited call text & data
$100 – $300/month (family plan for 5 lines)
Cable or Streaming Services
$0 – $100/month (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.)
FOOD & GROCERIES
Groceries
$800 – $1,200/month (depends on diet and kids’ ages)
Watoto wakifunga shule itabidi you replace mlango ya fridge na cabinet..they eat everything kwa nyumba hadi remote ya tv utajiju
Dining Out / Takeout
$100 – $300/month (optional/lifestyle-based)
TRANSPORTATION
Ya Bibi na ya bwana mtahitaji gari za kuenda job..one car haita work.utaelewa ukifika.Gari lazima uta afford na lazima utakua nayo upende usipende
Car Payments (1–2 cars)
$300 – $1,000/month
Car Insurance
$100 – $300/month
Gasoline..hii ni petroli..kwa wale hawajui inaitangwa gas usa na sio ya kupika
$150 – $400/month
Public Transportation (if used)
Hii ni just in case wengi wenyu hamtatumia basi
$0 – $150/month
Healthcare
Health Insurance Premiums
Kuna employers hulipia insurance infact ni wengi but unaeza kua unalipia deductable
$500 – $1,500/month (for a family plan,
Out-of-Pocket Medical/Pharmacy
$50 – $200/month
CHILDREN AND FAMILY NEEDS
Hapa ndio kitakuramba..kama bibi na bwana mnaenda job na mko na watoto wadogo lazima mtalipia daycare.. unless mmoja wenyu ni stay at home..if cost ya daycare ina cost almost same na mshahara ya mmoja wenyu heri tu huyo mwenye hio mshahara akae home ju 1-1=0
Childcare or After-School Care
$0 – $2,000/month
SCHOOL SUPPLIES & FEES
Piga makofi..from kindergarten hadi highschool shule ni free unless upeleke mtoto private school
$20 – $100/month (varies by age)
CLOTHING & SHOES
Hii ni on low end..watoto lazima wa shine..hapa watakukula pesa ushangae don’t be surprised expenses zikigonga $1k plus a month
$50 – $200/month
PERSONAL CARE (toiletries, haircuts)
$50 – $100/month
Miscellaneous & Extras
Entertainment & Family Activities
$50 – $300/month
Subscriptions & Apps
$10 – $50/month
Emergency Savings / Retirement…ni optional
$100 – $500/month
TOTAL ESTIMATE (Monthly)
Low-End: ~$3,000/month
Mid-Range: ~$5,000–$6,000/month
High-End ~$8,000–$10,000/month+
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